tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post5638962415353138993..comments2024-03-22T00:35:12.415-07:00Comments on HoseMaster of Wine™: Halcón You Do Me Like You Do?Ron Washam, HMWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-82209828656190466892014-01-25T08:06:51.039-08:002014-01-25T08:06:51.039-08:00Weston,
Thanks for the positive vote on Halcon. Th...Weston,<br />Thanks for the positive vote on Halcon. The wines are a flatout steal for $20, and even at full price they are worth the money. <br /><br />Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-90016418495275570622014-01-24T22:58:21.958-08:002014-01-24T22:58:21.958-08:00I bought some Halcon off last bottle because they ...I bought some Halcon off last bottle because they were cheap and someone mentioned they'd be good for the price, they were great, and like you I'm hooked, now granted I did pay $20btl, so yeah buy em at that price for sureWestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18125027693380601285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-19706113727006267132014-01-17T18:42:23.429-08:002014-01-17T18:42:23.429-08:00Marcia Love,
I was wondering where you were. But I...Marcia Love,<br />I was wondering where you were. But I knew you'd turn up eventually. Thanks for joining in. I do think you'd like the Halcon wines. Very compelling in that cool climate kind of way. <br /><br />I don't have much of a Sample Policy, but that I don't ask for them. I've hinted, it's true. But never directly asked. And I put a lot of time into the Wine Essays, which I think the wineries appreciate. Though I'm guessing they'd rather have high numbers, or gold doodads. Doesn't matter. Blogs don't sell wine.<br /><br />Which reminds me, where's Puff Daddy to say he wishes I'd give the wines numbers? He's MIA lately, and I don't mean Farrow. Oh well, gain a common tater, lose a common tater.<br /><br />Smooch.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-50718452279450543852014-01-17T15:55:26.175-08:002014-01-17T15:55:26.175-08:00I'm late! ...a very busy week. As always, I lo...I'm late! ...a very busy week. As always, I love the Wine Essays as I learn new things with each one -- most particularly I usually learn about a new winery I've not heard of that (from the sounds of your description) I should get a few bottles of their wine. What you remember for the reviews is usually the information of most value to you. Hence, negative feedback fades into the background.<br /><br />I hadn't remembered the negative feedback on some of the El Dorado wines; I only remembered the ones you DID like.<br /><br />In regards to the "HMW Sample Policy" (as if you would bother with something so formal!), it is the rare publication that pays for the goods to be reviewed. Only Consumer Reports comes to mind, and let's hope they don't attempt much (they gave it a go a couple years back, yes?) in the way of wine reviews. ("Aroma of 'new car vinyl.' Brakes a little to the left in the mouthfeel...")Marcia Macomberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07237764449953259939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-69213789697397204522014-01-17T14:09:08.856-08:002014-01-17T14:09:08.856-08:00Renzo,
A Fool like me has to be able to take every...Renzo,<br />A Fool like me has to be able to take everything in stride because I hurl endless crapola at everyone. Steve and David have their own impressions of my work, and they're loyal common taters, so it's all fine with me. <br /><br />The Wine Essays are always the most work to write, and are the hardest to make readable and interesting. I only succeed to a modest degree. A post like "What Not to Publish on Your Stupid Wine Blog in 2014" generates unbelievable traffic, but it was simple to write in that aggressive, insulting voice. This piece has about 10% of the traffic, and is far harder to write. Poodles really love to read about and talk about themselves even more than they like to read about wine. I only occasionally insult wine bloggers these days, though their banality is an infinite source of comedy. I don't care about the traffic, I care about the work.<br /><br />Thanks, Renzo. I appreciate your support and regular common tater contributions.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-91472597715623361022014-01-17T13:30:44.136-08:002014-01-17T13:30:44.136-08:00With all due respect to my fellow common taters, D...With all due respect to my fellow common taters, David and Steve--no, they haven't been reading your blog carefully. <br />David is exactly off base and failed to note that you rarely wear the reviewer/shill/prostitute hat. And never surreptitiously.<br />Steve on the other hand has somehow missed your major beef about the compromised position of so-called and so many wine reviewers who accept "goodies" in return for totally unbiased views. Yeah... I've got a bridge to sell too!<br />Perhaps I'm misreading? If not, credit where credit is due. Even if our humble host accepts the disrespect in stride.renzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06719763151397519334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-58896656658429358132014-01-16T14:56:33.507-08:002014-01-16T14:56:33.507-08:00David,
One day I hope I get to see that review han...David,<br />One day I hope I get to see that review hanging in your tasting room. Though most folks would rather see me hanging in your tasting room.<br /><br />And thanks for the support. I'm up to twelve readers now.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-47801744089088712142014-01-16T14:41:18.617-08:002014-01-16T14:41:18.617-08:00nice article- you had me at
"buying a car / ...nice article- you had me at <br />"buying a car / demolition derby".<br /><br />as a past recipient of HMR reviews of Fox Farm Vineyards, I want to tell you that your review hangs proudly in our tasting room and I send folks to your site.<br />cheers,<br />davidvoice of reasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245512801828772260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-79595713872025676702014-01-16T12:45:15.909-08:002014-01-16T12:45:15.909-08:00Steve,
Thanks for being a fan. I knew I had one.
...Steve,<br />Thanks for being a fan. I knew I had one. <br /><br />I often leave the wines I review overnight and retaste them the second day, and sometimes the third. Often the food I'm having changes the wines entirely, which tells me a lot about their structure and balance. If, as you remark, it sucks the second day, it's hardly worthy of enormous praise. Unless it's very cheap.<br /><br />David,<br />I don't blame you a bit, but you haven't read my Wine Essays very thoroughly. When I reviewed a bunch of wines from El Dorado County back in September I panned quite a few of them. And I've also been very nonplussed by certain wines from wineries I otherwise liked. Tom Stolpman is still hoping I'll like his Sangiovese one day. I clearly didn't like all of Loring's wines I was sent as well.<br /><br />I think I make it clear that for my Wine Essays I don't solicit wines. I don't publish my shipping address anywhere on my blog either. A winery or winemaker contacts me, offers to send me samples, and I either accept the offer, or don't. I have turned down offers, mostly from big corporate wineries or wineries I already know I dislike. I also make it clear that I haven't paid for any of the wines. And I can't remember the last time I went on a junket.<br /><br />That said, I have received samples from wineries and not liked any of them. I'm not a wine reviewer. These essays are supposed to be about my lifelong enthusiasm for wine, my experience in wine, and wines that have interested me, excited me, rekindled that love for wine that crappy wine tends to extinguish. I could write a really nasty review of a winery, but, for me, there's no point in that. And, truly, the Wine Essays are all about me.<br /><br />Bob,<br />Yup, kind of a primitive site. It is kind of annoying that such smart and talented people can't find someone to create a useful website, but it's their business. <br /><br />Here's a link to a pdf for Halcon's newest offering.<br /><br /> http://halconvineyards.com/WinterOfferJan2014.pdf<br /><br />Tell 'em the HoseMaster sent you.Ron Washam, HMWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238869156614617705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-85323734315207927262014-01-16T12:05:48.506-08:002014-01-16T12:05:48.506-08:00Ron-you got me interested so I went to the winery&...Ron-you got me interested so I went to the winery's web site thinking I'd order a bottle or two. Can't do it. The web site talks about the wines, the winemaker, the land, etc but there is no way I could find to just order wine. SighBobFosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08970172004027005354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-89447093258309374422014-01-16T11:09:41.422-08:002014-01-16T11:09:41.422-08:00David, well said. I once worked at a company that ...David, well said. I once worked at a company that told their people in marketing and pr that they were not allowed to take anything for free or at a significant discount. Seems like the wine blogs should follow that same dictate. Or, at least say if they are reviewing a wine that was a comp and how many bottles were given to the writer.<br />In CA you see Gold Medal winning wines touted by wineries, and so down the line to winner of Wood Medal winners. Even those semi self annointed winning wines I find to be worthless. The industry in general is based on a "you scratch my back and I will scratch yours" mentality.Steve Layhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11485378664675668077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-71488740264903270702014-01-16T10:53:27.663-08:002014-01-16T10:53:27.663-08:00Interesting stuff Ron.. but I notice when you revi...Interesting stuff Ron.. but I notice when you review wines, you never come down hard on any of em and usually rave about em.. not every wine you get sent can be that good..<br />I get this food blog, the Ulterior Epicure and it always hacked me off that he insisted that he didn't get comped.. he wrote this post recently called blurred lines, where he admitted he got comped occasionally, but he hoped it didn't affect his criticism...<br />I posted on his blog, what criticism?? The only time I've seen you slam a restaurant in 3 or 4 years of reading your blog, was Paula Deen's crapola place.. big step off there... I said you're getting comped left, right and center, and I got no problem with that, what raises my hackles is when you keep insisting that you're not.. he lists like over 300 restaurants that he ate at in the past year, and expects us to believe he only got comped for about 10 of them.. yeah, and Santa Claus just came down the chimney... and it didn't affect his criticism at all...<br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11992278224164669829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6745003136564123305.post-79358793428486142612014-01-16T10:38:59.336-08:002014-01-16T10:38:59.336-08:00I am a fan of your blog. Maybe that does not speak...I am a fan of your blog. Maybe that does not speak well of my intellect; so be it. Well your latest musings on Halcon, dining with your bride in Healdsburg, and tastings (all in one blog)was a great read. I would add one other tasting method in assessing whether I like a wine--Sipping. Here is how I work this subjective method. After dinner I often have red wine left in the bottle. With that bottle in hand I sit down in front of the TV or computer and then start the technical aspects of sipping-no food, just sipping. If I still like the aroma's and balance it is good. If it doesn't hold my interest I use it as a rust remover. Steve Layhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11485378664675668077noreply@blogger.com